


Reverie

by BakerKeen



Series: Reverie [1]
Category: Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Creepy Scientists, F/M, M/M, Sexual Content, implied PTSD, implied past sexual abuse, mild dubcon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:55:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24267010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BakerKeen/pseuds/BakerKeen
Summary: With Tifa and Barrett’s lives on the line, Hojo pressures Cloud and Aerith to attempt to reproduce. Lightly dubious consent between them due to this plot hook, as well as non-graphic flashbacks of implied abuse/dubcon. Please stay safe and heed the tags if you are sensitive to these topics.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife, Cloud Strife & Aerith Gainsborough & Tifa Lockhart & Barrett, Sephiroth/Cloud Strife
Series: Reverie [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1756936
Comments: 11
Kudos: 59





	1. Chapter 1

Things ... were not exactly going to plan. 

Cloud grunted in frustration as he searched for a lever or a button to open the door in front of him. He needed to find Aerith and the others, and this was definitely the door leading to the level where they had been heading when they were separated. In desperation, he slashed at it with his blade.

Red flicked his tail in annoyance. “Only Hojo can open this door. It leads to his most secure lab. We must find another path.”

Cloud straightened, sheathing his sword once more. He paced in front of the door, glaring up at where he thought the camera was. “Come on, Hojo,” he shouted into the air. “I don’t have time for this shit.”

He hadn’t expected anything to change, really, was just venting some frustration. And yet, he heard an unmistakable _click_ from the door in front of him. Cloud smiled. Well, it was a smile by Cloud's standards, anyway. 

“Curious,” said Red. “He’ll be wanting something.”

Cloud strode up to the door, which whooshed open automatically. “We can handle it.”

Red paced beside him. ”It would be a grave mistake to underestimate Hojo.”

Cloud cut a sideways glance at Red that said, _He’d better not underestimate me_ , before stalking through the door and into a hallway. At the end of it there was another door with several scanners, two of which Cloud hadn't seen in any of the other rooms of the building. Red was right about the security; if Hojo hadn't decided to grant them access, they never would have made it in this way. Whatever lay ahead, it wasn't going to be easy. The door slid open as they approached, all security measures apparently overridden. 

He entered, and swore, ignoring the smug look Red was shooting at him. Aerith was in the center of the room, apparently unharmed. Tifa and Barrett, on the other hand, were trapped in cylindrical observation cells surrounded by blue, glowing shields. Cloud glanced up and saw what he’d expected — Hojo behind the same shielded glass that had already proven impenetrable. Two assistants stood behind him. 

Nodding at Red, Cloud descended the stairs toward the center of the room and they split off, looking for weaknesses in the lab’s defenses as Hojo laughed over the loudspeaker. Cloud approached Tifa’s cell, searching in vain for a release mechanism he already knew didn’t exist. Hojo was insane, but he wasn’t dumb. Tifa smiled tightly at him, looking tense but alert. Red alerted him to a door on his side of the room, but like the ones leading into here, there was no apparent way to open it without Hojo's say-so. Barrett grimaced down at him. He was covered in small scrapes and burns, but didn't seem to be seriously injured. 

Hojo’s voice boomed over the intercom. “You have performed exquisitely, SOLDIER. I never tire of seeing my creations destroyed. As a matter of fact, you have far exceeded my expectations. The data I’ve collected will fuel years of new research.”

Cloud stalked over to the center of the room, a few feet from Aerith, and glared at the blue, glowing window above him. “What do you want with them? I thought you didn't care about taking down Avalanche.” 

Hojo tossed his head back, laughing for more moments than could be considered sane by anyone's measure. _God_ , this guy was creepy. Cloud exchanged a look with Aerith, who seemed to be warning him with her eyes. Cloud reminded himself that Aerith understood Hojo in a way he didn't, that she had grown up here, and had spent the last few weeks trapped here. 

Hojo gestured wildly. “Take down Avalanche?? When you’ve been so valuable to me tonight? No, no. You’ve proven yourself worthy of one last experiment.”

Cloud tensed, looking around once more for a door or a gate that some lab experiment of Hojo’s might crawl out of. “Send it in. I’m ready.” And he was. He and Aerith had taken down plenty of monsters together. They could handle any fucked up thing Hojo threw at them. 

Hojo laughed again, just a short burst this time. “Oh, the time for monsters is done. This experiment will be much more interesting." He stood up in his chair to better gesticulate and pace. He'd clearly been planning out this speech while waiting for them to arrive. "You see, I’ve been trying to solve a rather large problem. Aerith is the last of the Ancients, which puts an unacceptable limit on our research.” Hojo paused, as though this explained everything, and waited for Cloud to respond. 

Cloud glared, unsure of what this had to do with him. “What a shame for you,” he deadpanned.

“Yes,” said Hojo emphatically. “You see! Think of what we could accomplish with more Ancients. So you understand that she _must_ reproduce.” He was excited now, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet a bit. “I’ve been thinking about this for some time, but of course we have to choose the mate carefully. I never dreamed a specimen like you would come waltzing through my door. Just imagine the possibilities with your offspring.”

Cloud snapped his head to look at Aerith, who was jutting her chin defiantly and glaring at Hojo, who laughed. Cloud clenched his fists. Really, he should have known this was what was coming. _Stupid._

Red had been right; he had underestimated the breadth of Hojo's ambition and cruelty. He had forgotten that this was Shinra, who didn't just turn blind eyes to this sort of experimentation -- _torture_ , he corrected himself -- but funded it, observed it, and had board meetings to discuss it. He knew it better than anyone. 

This was ridiculous. Cloud took a step forward, shoulders thrown back, and scoffed. “I’m not going to _rape_ Aerith so you can have baby Ancients.”

Hojo's shoulders sank, and he sighed dramatically. “I was afraid you’d say that. And here I thought that perhaps you were _smart_. No mind. Aerith can pass the intelligence on.” He nodded at his assistants, who turned to push some buttons on the console behind them. Red smoke began to fill the observation cells, and Tifa collapsed, clutching her throat and coughing desperately a few times before going limp. 

Barrett was on his knees but still conscious. He clawed desperately at the glass and roared, “TIFA!!” Then he, too, succumbed to the gas, as lifeless as one of Marlene’s rag dolls. 

A current of panic ripped through Cloud, and he ran to Tifa’s cell, hacking at the glass with a blade he didn’t remember unsheathing. It was useless, and he knew it. He called upon the mako inside of him, sending a huge, booming clap of thunder at the shield. Nothing. He ran to Barrett's cell, and seeing no other vulnerabilities, tried to send healing energy into the cell. He felt it bounce of the blue shield. They were trapped. They were dead. They were dead, and it was his fault. He was going to kill Hojo. 

Hojo sighed, “Do calm down, they’re not dead ... yet. But you see how quickly that could change.” Cloud nodded, his heart rate slowing at knowing he still had time to fix this. He needed to buy some time; he knew Hojo must have dozens of gasses that could kill them instantly. He couldn't figure out a way to get Hojo to open the door to the control room. Maybe Aerith would have an idea.

Red stalked over to him. “If you don’t do this, they’ll die, and he’ll find another SOLDIER to take your place.” 

“He’s right.” He turned to Aerith’s voice. She was behind him, looking pale but determined. “We don’t have a choice.”

His voice was forceful. “Of course we have a choice. This isn’t happening.” The panic that has started to fade when he realized the others weren’t dead began to rise again. Didn't she realize what she was asking of him? He wouldn't do it. He shook his head again. “I’m not going to hurt you.” But even as he said it, he looked over to Barrett's lifeless form, and knew he couldn't be responsible for it.

“But that’s just it,” Aerith said patiently. “Don’t you see? You won't hurt me, but someone else might.” 

Cloud’s heart was racing, and cold dread filled his body. His hands went numb, falling out of the fists he’d had them clenched in. He met Aerith’s gaze now, and she held him there. “Please, Cloud. We can't let them die for us.”

She was so much braver than he would ever be. 

He stepped closer, and Red loped off, making a show of checking on Tifa to give them some privacy. Cloud cut a quick glance at the observation window, where Hojo and his assistants looked on. He looked back to Aerith, shaking his head to dislodge the image of them in his head. He pitched his voice low, so only she could hear. “I don’t know if I can,” he admitted, feeling his cheeks warm. Aerith crinkled her eyebrows, not understanding. He darted his eyes nervously back up to the observation deck, urging her to understand, not to make him say it. Comprehension dawned on Aerith's face. _They'll be watching._ This wasn't just a question of willingness; he couldn't imagine being able to succeed under these conditions. He'd been trained to withstand torture, not deliver it.

She nodded. “It’s ok. I’ll help you.” She leaned forward and reached up with both hands to touch his face, her fingertips sliding into his hair. She closed her eyes, and Cloud felt her energy move through him, so powerful he grew dizzy. He closed his eyes, too, and clasped his shaking hands around Aerith’s waist, trying to keep his balance. He was trembling all over, like a coward, but Aerith was solid and still.

Aerith giggled. “That’s a lot of hair gel.” She wiped her fingers on his shirt. "Don't you know how to use mako to keep it in place? I'll teach you sometime." His eyes and mouth opened in indignation, preparing a witty retort, and then stopped, looking around in amazement. 


	2. Chapter 2

They were in a lush, green meadow, dotted with flowers. Some, Cloud recognized from the garden at Aerith’s house; others seemed to be wild. A huge tree stood near the edge of the clearing, its long branches dripping with green leaves. It provided shade from the sun, although Cloud couldn’t imagine growing tired of feeling its warmth on his skin. The sky was blue, with a few puffy clouds overhead. He shifted his weight, and the ground was soft and spongy underneath his feet. The sweet, sticky scent of some flower Cloud couldn't identify filled the air.

“What is this place?” Clouds voice was quiet, reverent. 

“The Promised Land. Well, this is how it looks in my dreams, anyway.” 

It was incredible, and he marveled at the power of Aerith's magic. It looked and felt so _real_. He turned to look at Aerith once more, holding her gaze, feeling like he was seeing her with new eyes. “I didn’t know this much beauty was possible,” he murmured, and it was Aerith’s turn to blush. 

They seemed to realize at the same moment that Cloud’s hands were still on her waist. He tensed, but Aerith simply smiled, shrugged out of her cropped jacket, and took a small step back, inviting Cloud’s gaze. His stomach tightened as his eyes flicked over her body. Despite her fierce bravery, she was slight. He couldn't even focus on the graceful curve of her neck, or the way her dress hugged her small breasts, although these things hadn't escaped his notice. He knew that people easily underestimated her, and that she was much stronger than she appeared, but he felt menacing next to her. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said, his voice hoarse. 

Aerith tipped her head, considering this. “Then don’t try to conquer me. Just ... let yourself be curious.” Her eyes moved over his body, catching here and there. Her gaze felt like candlelight, whispers of heat flickering over his chest, and shoulders, and stomach, where her eyes lingered. A tense heat coiled in his belly. He felt pinned in her gaze. She circled him, appraising him, and looked up at him with obvious appreciation. She stepped closer. “Aren’t you curious?”

Cloud swallowed, and nodded. Aerith was very close now; he could feel her warm intensity, smell the orange blossom scent of her skin. She stepped closer still, rising up on her tiptoes to graze his chin with her nose and lift her mouth; an offering. 

He hesitated, and Aerith smiled, rocking back on her heels. “You _have_ done this before.” It was almost a question. 

Electricity shrieked in his head and an unbidden image of Sephiroth moving above him jolted into his vision. He clutched his temple with one hand, shaking his head to banish the memory. He couldn’t afford this now. He turned back to Aerith, whose eyebrows were crinkled with concern. 

“I’m fine,” he lied. “Yeah, I’ve done this before.” It he been all too familiar, back when he could see the lab instead of this paradise Aerith conjured. He pushed Sephiroth and creepy Shinra labs from his mind. He wouldn't be able to do what he needed to do if he was thinking about all that. 

She lifted her chin again, and dropped her gaze to Cloud’s lips. This time, he closed the last few inches between them, softly brushing his lips across hers. Her mouth curled into a soft smile that unfurled a little bit of the tightness that was coiled in the pit of his stomach. He always felt like he could breathe more deeply when she was around. He pulled back an inch. “Just be curious, huh?” 

“That’s it,” she breathed. “We’re just exploring.” Her fingertips trailed over his exposed shoulder, following the arc of his muscles down to his elbow. His skin prickled with goosebumps. She looked back up at him, and spoke in a low voice. “Touch me. I won’t break.” 

He swallowed, and experimented with smoothing his hands up her back, feeling her small rib cage ripple against his hands beneath her pink dress. When his hands reached her neck, Aerith laughed. 

His expression soured. “What?” he asked, more than a little defensively. 

She smirked at him. “I was thinking maybe you could lose the gloves.” 

He’d forgotten he was even wearing them. He exhaled a quiet laugh, too, and some of the tension drained out of his body. He nodded, and pulled them off, along with his bolt-studded shoulder armor, sword, and bracer. 

Aerith quirked a lip up at him. “I already feel like you’re naked,” she teased. “Do you take off your sword for all the ladies?” 

He smirked. He had left it sheathed on his back plenty of times, as though it could have protected him. He shook the tension from his head before it overwhelmed him again. He stepped closer again, letting his fingers trace gently up her arms and shoulders until they met the curve of her neck. Aerith was right; bare skin was much better. She was warm and soft under his fingertips. He buried his hands in her hair and leaned down to kiss her again, more confident this time. 

Aerith’s mouth came alive, her lips curious against his. Their lips parted, and he caught her lower lip between both of his. She bummed her happiness, closing over his top lip before their lips parted again. This time, Aerith tilted her head, slotting their open mouths together, and flicked her tongue lightly against his. He lifted his tongue and response and hers retreated as her lips curled into a teasing smile. 

She was being _playful_ , he realized. He smiled back, and went searching for her tongue, glancing against it for a moment before closing their lips in another kiss. This time, Aerith’s tongue gave chase, darting against his a few times before she pulled it back and bit down on his lower lip. Cloud’s eyes flew open and a soft, surprised noise came up from his throat before he could repress it. She giggled, releasing his lip and wrapping her arms around his waist. 

Aerith was everywhere, pressed against him from thighs to lips. His hands cradled her head, pulling her more tightly against him as he plunged into her mouth, too hungry for her touch to tease anymore. Now it was her turn to be surprised, her breath catching in her throat for a moment before her tongue raised to meet his. Their lips and tongues tangled, and to Cloud’s surprise, he _was_ curious. He found himself wondering what it would be like to kiss her neck, so he did, crouching over her to trail kisses across her jaw until she extended her neck to him. He kissed his way down her neck, pushing a strap of her dress down to her arm as he nibbled her collarbone.

After a moment, she pulled away, stepping back a few paces, and Cloud was confused, disoriented without the steady presence of her body under his fingers. Suddenly, she smirked and fell backwards. Cloud reacted instinctively, leaping toward her to cradle her in a cage of his arms and rolling them against the intensely green grass until their momentum stopped. Aerith giggled above him.

“What the hell,” Cloud started, noting how breathless he sounded, “Was that?” 

Her hair dangled around them. “I just thought it’d be more fair if we were on the same level.”

“And you thought the best way to accomplish that was to give me a heart attack?” 

She shrugged. “I knew you’d catch me.” Her lips were redder than normal, puffy from being kissed. She rolled off of him, turning on to her side. He rolled to face her, stroking her arm as they lay in the grass, unable to stop touching her now that he’d started. 

She tipped her face into his, kissing him slowly as her hand smoothed over his narrow hips to squeeze a handful of his bum. He allowed himself to be kissed and caressed, to smooth his hands over the soft curve of Aerith’s hip. It wasn't enough. He rolled a bit away from her, putting a bit of distance between them so he could trace over her ribs, letting his fingers creep ever closer to the swell of her small breasts. He moved slowly, giving her time to refuse, but she hummed encouragingly, sighing happily when he ran a thumb across her nipple over her thin pink dress. 

“What do you like?” she whispered, looking at him hungrily. He liked this about Aerith, that she spoke her mind, didn’t make him guess her meaning. But he had no idea how to answer. He’d had no idea being with someone could be so joyful, full of tender touches and playful kisses. What he liked had never entered into the equation, really. He remembered, suddenly, that this was unnecessary, that Shinra had made him give them a sample ages ago. It was probably shut away in a storage freezer somewhere in this very building. He didn’t want Aerith to stop touching him, though, to stop looking at him like he was something precious and beautiful, like one of her flowers. 

He had been quiet too long, and the silence was growing awkward. The truth was that he had no idea what he liked, but saying that would break their reverie. He racked his brains quickly, blurting out the first thing that came to mind. “I’m told I’m good with my mouth,” he suggested. 

Aerith’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and Cloud felt his face grow hot, and he dropped his eyes from her, angry at himself. What a stupid thing to say. He hadn’t even answered her question. After a moment, though, Aerith spoke. “I think I’ll have to be the judge of that.” A wave of relief washed over Cloud. She was teasing him again. She lay on her back, crossing her arms behind her head and smiling playfully at him. “Well? Don’t keep a girl waiting.” 

Cloud knelt over her, kissing down the dip between her breasts until the fabric of her dress got in the way. He continued down, down, caressing her belly and her hips and the tops of her legs. He kept going until he touched bare skin again, then turned, dipping his fingers under the hem of her dress and moving slowly up her legs. Aerith lifted her hips, and Cloud tugged at her waistband, slipping the soft fabric down her legs and tossing it aside. 

He knelt between her legs, kissing her knee and glancing up to make sure she welcomed his touch. Aerith looked absolutely relaxed, smiling and biting her lip as Could trailed a hand up her thigh. She faced the sky, closing her eyes and drinking in the sun on her face. Could lowered himself into a crouch, ducked his head under her dress, and kissed his way up her thighs until she let her legs fall open for him, utterly unselfconscious. 

He paused for a moment. It looked much more complicated than he had expected, truth be told. Were there always so many folds? Aerith nudged him impatiently with her leg and he huffed in fake annoyance. He felt her belly ripple with laughter. He kissed her thigh once more and experimented with blowing gently over the soft, dusky skin in front of him. She tensed, but wiggled her hips encouragingly. 

Right. Well, the terrain may be new, but the principles were similar. He pooled saliva in the front of his mouth, and swiped a broad tongue around what he judged to be the outermost area, a plump pad that surrounded her opening on both sides. She sighed with contentment, nudging him with her knee again when he paused overlong to assess her reaction. 

_Just be curious_ , he reminded himself. There was certainly plenty to explore here. He wet the whole area with his tongue and worked his way from the outside in. He found Aerith difficult to predict sometimes, although she never made him guess what she liked and didn’t. He had expected that she would want his attention mostly near her opening, but when he licked up the length of an inner fold (who knew there were _layers_?), she had gasped and arched into him when his tongue had reached the very top. Hmm. On further exploration, he found a small pearl buried where the inner folds met. He pushed the folds out of the way and dragged his tongue across it experimentally, and she yelped, squeezing her thighs together protectively. 

"Sorry," he murmured into her skin. He rubbed her leg reassuringly, letting her know he had gotten the message, and nosed at her thighs until she opened up for him again. He kept his tongue soft and wet, sliding it up the inner fold again and flicking his tongue next to the pearl. She gasped again, the legs bracketing his head growing tense. He hiked one of her legs up onto his shoulder, continuing to flicker his tongue all around the pearl, since she seemed so eager for him to continue. He noticed he didn’t need to worry as much about keeping his tongue wet, as the whole area was now slick and musky. He moved a finger along the slit, searching for the source of the wetness, and slid his fingertip just inside her opening. 

“Mmm,” she grunted, and tilted her hips to push him further in. His finger slipped slickly inside of her and he found sliding it in and out made his own breathing pick up. The pressure against the front of his pants was growing uncomfortable. 

The pearl was getting harder to avoid (was it _growing??_ ) and Aerith was wiggling so much that he was having to be quite deft to miss it. After a few minutes of this, it seemed to him that she was _trying_ to get him to touch it. 

She really could be difficult to predict sometimes.

He finally decided on closing his whole mouth around it and sucking gently, thinking maybe the tongue contact had been the problem the first time around. Aerith tensed, moaning in obvious pleasure, and pushed into his mouth. He tried flicking his tongue lightly as he sucked, and Aerith slowly began to tense. The leg over his shoulder seemed to squeeze him closer, while the other flexed, almost pressing into the ground as the tension in her body grew. He flickered his tongue as quickly as he could, now heedless of whether it touched the pearl directly since it no longer seemed to matter. 

Suddenly, Aerith panted quickly a few times before she stopped breathing altogether, and her whole body tensed under him. The muscles around his finger began to rhythmically clench and relax, and Aerith let out a quiet, strangled cry that gave way to a huge release of both breath and tension, her legs relaxing around him. 

Cloud slowed his tongue, softening his mouth, and reluctantly let his finger slide from her body. A few more shudders passed through her body as he passed over her gently with his tongue. Finally, she went limp around him, and he ducked out from under her dress, wiping his face on his arm and his finger against his pants. 

Aerith was radiant, her face relaxed and pink. Her hair was very messy, as though she had been pulling at it, and the skin on her chest and neck was splotchy with heat. She laughed drunkenly, and lolled her head to look at him. “You heard right.” 

Cloud’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “About what?”

“You are good with your mouth.” 

Cloud smirked, and stretched out beside Aerith, nuzzling her ear and eliciting a giggle when he nibbled on it. He wanted to kiss her, but wasn't sure if that was polite after his mouth had been on her. He wasn’t sure what to do next, even though he knew was ultimately expected. It didn’t seem like he should simply crawl on top of her and finish the job, but maybe that’s what she was waiting for. 

He cleared his throat. “Should I ...?” He gestured vaguely between their hips. 

She giggled, smacking a half-limp hand against his shoulder. “Just give me a minute to bask, would ya? I need to collect my thoughts.” 

OH. He felt a swell of pride, both in his heart and in his pants. He chuckled (chuckled! What was happening to him?) and went back to nuzzling Aerith’s neck and caressing her skin, running a hand down between her breasts and over her belly. He reached under her dress again, unable to resist her slippery wetness and the uncomfortable, addictive way it affected his body. She shuddered a few times, huffing out giddy laughs as she seemed to quiver slightly under his fingers. 

After a couple of minutes, she rolled to face him, pushing his hand away. He wiped the stickiness on his pant leg, and she leaned closer, trailing her hand down down his chest, to his belly, to brush over the bulge in the front of his pants. “Hmm,” she smiled, “Guess we figured out something you like.” 

He lifted a shoulder in a half shrug and flushed, feeling mildly embarrassed, but he _had_ liked pleasing Aerith. He’d felt powerful and ... _sexy_ in a way he hadn’t in his other experiences. 

She seemed to read his mood. She winked at him, and leaned close to murmur in his ear. “It’s ok, Cloud. I liked it, too.”

He shivered at tickle of her breath in his ear, even as a his brain screeched once again. He felt the sharp pain of Sephiroth pressing into him from behind, growling in his ear. “I like it when you finally see things my way, Cloud.” 

He gasped, turning to make sure they were alone. Aerith sat up. “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head, scattering the image from his head and answering Aerith at the same time. “Nothing. Just ... I don’t like people whispering in my ear.” 

“OK.” Aerith still look concerned, but didn’t push him to say more. “I’ll remember that.” Her hand rested on his chest, and they both noticed the hammering of his heart, though neither of them mentioned it. She waited as he mastered his panic, and then pushed him onto his back. 

“I really did like that.” Aerith’s hands were caressing the front of his pants again. The bulge had softened but not gone away, and he doubted it would take long for him to become painfully hard again. 

“Yeah,” he snorted. “I could tell.” 

She laughed, unembarrassed. She squeezed him through his pants now, sending a jolt of longing through him. His breath caught. She smiled down at him, the strap of her dress fallen over one shoulder. “Better now?”

“Getting there,” he groaned, as she traced the outline of him with a finger. Her fingers slid up the length of his zipper, then started tugging at his buckles. “Two belts is awfully inconvenient right now.” She leaned down for a kiss. Guess she didn’t mind the taste of herself after all. Something about that swooped low in his belly. 

They kissed, slowly at first, with Cloud breaking off to gasp when Aerith finally closed her small, soft hand around him. She stroked him, in long, gentle caresses at first. Their kisses grew sloppier, more desperate, as she added a twist on the upstroke that sent sparks of pleasure low in his abdomen. His head fell back against the grass with a soft _thunk_. He hadn’t known such a pure longing like this, one that wasn’t mixed up with pain and resentment and humiliation. 

Aerith began crawling down his body, trailing kisses down his belly, and settling between his legs. She licked a stripe up his length, swirling her tongue around the end.

Cloud felt a familiar tightness in his groin just at the sight of her kneeling before him. She closed her mouth over him, enveloping him in warm wetness, hollowing her cheeks as she pulled back. “Stop,” Cloud gasped. 

Aerith sat up. “Not good?” She looked worried, maybe a little self-conscious. 

“Too good,” he corrected. “I won’t last.” 

She smiled, and crawled back up his body, settling her hips across his thighs. She took him in hand, then lifted herself to press him against her entrance. 

Cloud panted, feeling her wetness against him, and just barely kept from pushing inside of her. She was holding his gaze, waiting for some signal. “Please,” he whispered. “I want you.” 

She sunk slowly over him, her wet heat like nothing he’d ever felt before. She adjusted her dress so it wouldn't catch, and began to move over him. He reached his hands up to her waist, unable to resist pulling her closer as he surged to meet her. He watched for any signs of pain on her face, but Aerith was exquisite in her pleasure. Her face was flushed with heat, her mouth parted, eyes burning down at him as she moved over him, the sun making a halo around her head. Cloud added a sway to his hips as he lifted them to her, and Aerith bit her lip, smiling. Cloud ran his hands along her legs, cupping her bottom to pull her more firmly toward him. She reached under her skirts, and Cloud could feel her rubbing herself as he pushed into her. 

Aerith finally closed her eyes, chasing her pleasure, and Cloud watched in amazement as her skin began to glow with magic. They began to float, and Cloud grasped her waist once more, lifting her up and down against the flex of his hips since she could no longer brace against the ground. The rose into the air as her skin shined brighter and brighter, until she cried out, the aura of magic pulsing in time with her pleasure. Then it shattered, and they came tumbling to the ground. Cloud pulled Aerith to his chest, arching his back to pull out of her before they landed. Cloud exhaled an _oof_ , the wind knocked out of him.

Aerith giggled, rolling off of Cloud to lay back on the grass, limp and sated. “Sorry about that.” She didn’t sound the slightest bit sorry. 

“You’re amazing,” Cloud replied, rolling to straddle one of her legs and spreading his hands up her torso. The distance between them was a physical ache. 

Aerith moved her other leg so Cloud could crouch between them. He pushed the front of her dress up and scooted closer, rubbing himself against her. He held her gaze. “Ready?”

She nodded drowsily, and Cloud reached down to guide himself inside her. She was slick and soft now, all traces of her earlier mounting tension gone. Cloud lowered himself on top of her, resting his weight on his forearms. She wrapped her legs around his and circled her arms around him to run her nails lightly up his back. He leaned in, capturing her mouth with his as he moved inside of her. 

He was drowning in Aerith, no longer aware of the meadow at all. His kisses grew sloppy as he felt a familiar tightening low in his belly, and he found himself slowing, not wanting it to end. He broke off the kiss, gasping, and Aerith was there, holding his gaze, her steady strength urging him on. He plunged inside of her once, twice, three times more before stiffening, groaning as he spilled inside of her. 

Aerith smiled up at him, tipping her face so their foreheads rested together. They shared breaths as Cloud came back to himself, softening inside her until he slipped out with a soft _pop_. Cloud was euphoric, unable to stop smiling in amazement. It was the happiest he could remember being. He tried to burn this moment into his memory, even as he could feel the press of responsibility in his mind. 

Cloud sighed. They needed to get back, but he was loathe to leave Aerith’s embrace. He slid his nose against hers, dipping down for one last kiss, even as he reminded himself that this was a mission, that it hadn’t meant anything. 

Reluctantly, Cloud pushed himself up to a kneeling position and stood. He tucked himself back into his pants before zipping and buckling them and refitting his armor. Finally, he pulled on his gloves and sheathed his blade on his back, a SOLDIER once more. Aerith had slipped her red jacket back on and stood in front of him, although she felt miles away now. 

He nodded, and Aerith closed her eyes, swiping a hand in front of her. Cloud took one last lungful of the sweet air as the ground beneath him turned hard and the beautiful colors turned steel again. Aerith’s glamour faded. 

Hojo was nearly beside himself with glee. His assistants were tapping furiously on computer panels, calling out readings to him that meant nothing to Cloud. Hojo was clapping, and shouting, "Exquisite!" Cloud turned away, disgusted, hating the dirty feeling of being watched that was now tarnishing his memory.

Red stalked over to them. “The others should be waking soon. The gas dissipated as soon as you finished.”

Cloud felt his cheeks warm, and found he couldn’t meet anyone’s gaze. In the meadow, he had forgotten that Tifa and Barrett were breathing in gas while he wasted time. _Stupid_. He’d gotten distracted. 

Aerith’s warm hand found his, and it was like a warm light in the pit of his stomach. “It’s OK, Cloud. We did the right thing.” She nodded at the observation window. “None of that matters. We’re just data to them.” She squeezed his hand and let it drop.

Tifa stirred first, clutching her head but rising to her feet easily. Barrett quickly followed, shaking off his headache and looking at them with concern. Cloud breathed a sigh of relief; part of him had worried that they wouldn't wake up, that it had been for nothing. 

Aerith stepped forward. “Hojo, we did what you asked. Unlock them and let us go.” Cloud nodded, standing a few paces behind her, ready to back her up.

Hojo sneered. “Let you go?? Why would I ever agree to do that? You need to remain here, in the lab, where I can monitor you and observe any changes.” Cloud had expected this. They would never agree to let Aerith go, never. There was nobody more valuable to them than her, and her value had potentially just doubled. She was an object to Shinra, a shiny toy to be experimented and exploited. They needed to keep their incubator safe and under their control. 

Aerith’s eyes burned. “You’re going to let us go. All of us.”

Hojo laughed. “I’ll do no such thing, you silly girl.” 

A fierceness that Cloud had never seen in Aerith settled over her, setting her jaw, throwing back her shoulders. She sparked with the magic inside of her, awoken by her rage. Aerith glared, and spoke . “Then Red will kill me.” 

Cloud stepped forward. “Like hell he will.” 

Aerith barely spared a glance at Cloud before casting a ray of magic at him, paralyzing him. She turned to Red. “If the cells and the door to the room aren’t opened in 30 seconds, rip my throat out.” 

Red looked startled, but quickly recovered. “Best make it 15. Hojo can fill the room with knockout gas in 30.”

Aerith glared back up at Hojo. “You heard him. You don’t want to lose your favorite experiment forever, do you?” 

Cloud fought against Aerith’s spell, calling upon his own magic to break free. He managed to lift one foot, but was moving far too slow to stop what was about to happen. A tide of panic rose inside of him as he imagined Red crouched over Aerith, covered in her blood. He reached for his blade with Herculean effort. It would be far too little and far too late. 

To his amazement, the containment cells slid open, and Tifa and Barrett hopped out. The door clicked open, and Aerith turned to him, triumph on her face as she waved away her magic. Cloud stumbled, his movements suddenly far too effortful. 

Aerith stepped over to him. “I’m sorry, Cloud. It was the only way I could think of.” 

He nodded, panic receding. “It was a good plan.”

She grabbed his hand, flashing him a grin as she pulled him toward the door. “Let’s get out of here. We have monsters to fight.”


End file.
